A political analyst warns that the Left will not be able to put an end to its demise as long as it keeps identity politics in the centre of its ethos. Donald Trump was backed by the middle class in America because he offered them the much needed protection which should be the mission of the Left.

In a lengthy analysis in Magyar Nemzet, Eszter Petronella Soós, best known as an analyst of French politics, now interprets the lessons Hungary’s left should draw from the United States presidential election. Just like in the United States, she writes, the middle class in Europe feels its safety and welfare are in jeopardy as well. Under these conditions, she argues, the Left’s endeavour to concentrate on the protection of minorities and its neglect of the working class is bound to marginalise it. The Hungarian Lleft is secluding itself behind the walls of the big cities and irradiates the idea that what it holds dearest are foreigners, the European Union and America. Soós suggests that the Left should not aspire to solve all the problems of the world. It should strive to reduce inequalities and get in touch again with the middle class, rather than lecturing them about abstract ideas and calling them racist if they don’t comply. If the Left wants to survive in the 21st century, she concludes, it must be progressive in its ideals but conservative and pragmatic in its attitude.